Supply Chain Event speakers announced

Supply Chain Event speakers announced

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) and Iowa State University’s Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) have announced the speakers for the March 22^nd event, “Managing Your Supply Chain During Time of Chaos.” Speakers will include Melissa Burant, Scott Grawe and Marc Schneider.

Melissa Burant is a Supply Chain Project Manager and leads Supplier Scouting for CIRAS. In this role, she helps companies develop and expand their supplier networks and identify new opportunities. Burant joined the CIRAS team in 2014, transitioning from her previous role as an Army civilian. In her time at CIRAS, she has worked as an advocate for industry by sharing her extensive knowledge of government policies, procedures and best practices for proposal development and customer engagement, and the power of developing your network regardless of the industry.

Scott Grawe is the Chair of the Department of Supply Chain Management in the Ivy College of Business at Iowa State University, as well as the Robert & Jane Sturgeon Faculty Fellow in Business and an Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management. Grawe teaches courses in strategic logistics management and international trade with specialties in shipper-3PL relationships, logistics innovation, on-site representation, and performance measurements. His research has been published in leading supply chain journals including the “Journal of Business Logistics” and “Journal of Operations Management.” Prior to his time in academia, Scott spent several years managing supply chain operations for Target Corporation and Polaris Industries. He earned his M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota and his PhD from the University of Oklahoma.

Marc Schneider has over 30 years’ experience in managing and supporting multi-national and local operations and professional workforces in a variety of industries. Today he provides consulting, project management and support to manufacturers across Iowa creating growth and performance improvements. Schneider’s areas of specialization include Supply Chain Management (reshoring, procurement, inventory management, risk management, transportation, warehousing and international logistics), import/export growth & support and lean manufacturing/supply chain management. Schneider obtained his B.B.A. with a major in Transportation & Logistics from Iowa State University and his M.B.A. with a Global Business Specialization from San Jose State University.

“The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is happy to be able to bring this level of expertise to our business community,” said Shannon Landauer, Corridor President & CEO. “The Iowa State University CIRAS program has a long history of providing support to Iowa businesses, and this will be another great opportunity for our businesses to find support from the program as they seek to solve current challenges and make plans for their operation into the future.”

The event features topics including building supply chain resiliency, an introduction to Industry 4.0, utilizing total cost of ownership, finding new suppliers, supply chain risk management and supply chain project opportunities. This event is funded by a grant through the Northwest Iowa Planning & Development Center and is free for attendees.

Following the event, qualified participants will be provided an opportunity to discuss engaging CIRAS and the Ivy College of Business CyLab to execute supply chain improvement projects within their companies.

Find out more about “Managing your Supply Chain during the time of Chaos” and learn how to register by contacting the Iowa Lakes Corridor at 712-264-3474 or info@lakescorridor.com.

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The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is the regional economic development agency for Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties. Its mission is to foster, encourage, aid, promote or otherwise assist in the economic growth and development of the region. For more information about the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation, call 712-264-3474 or visit www.lakescorridor.com.

The Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) was created in 1963 to improve the quality of life in Iowa by helping businesses and their communities prosper and grow. Our individually tailored strategy Engage. Educate. Embed. means we work with companies to fashion solutions specific to their individual needs.  Over the past five years, CIRAS and our partners have helped more than 4,100 businesses in every Iowa county, creating an economic impact of more than $3 billion.